The Mesothelioma Video Library is a place for patients, families and friends to learn more about the rare asbestos cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. We provide informative, helpful mesothelioma and asbestos videos by treatment professionals as well as mesothelioma patients themselves. Our library of mesothelioma videos gives you first-rate information: educational videos and articles geared toward helping you better understand the disease, interviews with medical experts, and interviews with real people dealing with the disease on a daily basis. Learn more about pleural mesothelioma, peritoneal mesothelioma and asbestos cancer.

Identifying mesothelioma symptoms can be difficult, even for an experienced health professional. Not only can mesothelioma symptoms mimic other diseases, but mesothelioma also has a very long latency period, so symptoms may not show up for as long as 40 years after the last exposure to asbestos.

Early signs of pleural mesothelioma, which attacks the lining of the lungs, include shortness of breath, wheezing, hoarseness, coughing, unexplained weight loss, chest pain and a condition called pleural effusion (fluid surrounding the lungs). Common mesothelioma symptoms of the peritoneal version of mesothelioma, which starts in the abdomen, include weight loss, abdominal swelling, a mass in the abdominal, anemia, weight loss, fever, bowel obstructions, blood clotting abnormalities and acites (fluid collecting in the abdomen).

A mesothelioma diagnosis is almost exclusively linked to asbestos exposure.  Because of the rare nature of the disease, it is important to seek out an experienced mesothelioma specialist. Tests may include CT or MRI scans and biopsies of the affected area. It is important to note that mesothelioma is difficult to visualize on a chest x-ray alone, further complicating a mesothelioma diagnosis. 

Mesothelioma treatment typically involves a combination of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. However, the choice of a mesothelioma treatment path is dependent upon the type of mesothelioma, the staging of the disease, and the health of the individual.  Surgery by itself is not considered optimal and the practice of combining surgery with either chemotherapy, radiation, or both has gained acceptance as the preferred approach to treat mesothelioma. This combination of methods is called "multimodality treatment," and has shown the most progress of any approach.

Though there is no known cure for mesothelioma, the life expectancy of a mesothelioma patient is entirely dependent upon the unique form, stage, health and general circumstances surrounding his or her case. Survival times vary widely, but 12 to 18 months is considered normal for mesothelioma life expectancy.

Peritoneal mesothelioma is a cancer caused by asbestos that occurs in the lining around organs in the abdomen. It is sometimes referred to as abdominal mesothelioma, and accounts for 20% of the mesothelioma cases diagnosed each year. Common symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma can include weight loss, ascites (or a buildup of fluid in the abdomen) and bowel obstruction.

Pleural mesothelioma is the most common form of mesothelioma, representing about 75% of the cases. The cancer forms in the pleura, the protective lining around the lungs, and thus is sometimes referred to as pleura cancer. Pleural mesothelioma affects the skin or inner lining (called the "pleura") outside of the lungs and inside of the ribs. Like all forms of mesothelioma, pleural mesothelioma is linked directly to asbestos exposure. Common symptoms include shortness of breath, wheezing, hoarseness, coughing, weight loss, chest pain, and pleural effusion (fluid surrounding the lung).